1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an image output device, an image transmission device, an image reception device, an image output method, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related art, optical microscopes have been used to observe microstructures in objects such as living tissue. An optical microscope utilizes light transmitted through, or reflected from, the target of observation. An observer observes an image enlarged by a lens. Also known are digital microscopes, which capture an image enlarged by the microscope lens and display the captured image on a display. The use of a digital microscope enables usage scenarios such as simultaneous observation by multiple people, and observation from a remote location.
Recently, attention has focused on technology for observing microstructures with contact image sensing (CIS) techniques. In the case of using CIS techniques, the target of observation is placed in close proximity to the imaging face of an image sensor. The image sensor used in this case is typically a two-dimensional image sensor in which a large number of photoelectric transducers are arrayed in rows and columns within the imaging face. The photoelectric transducers are typically photodiodes formed on a semiconductor layer or a semiconductor board, and generate an electric charge by receiving incident light.
An image acquired by the image sensor is prescribed by a large number of pixels. Each pixel is partitioned into a unit area that includes one photoelectric transducer. Consequently, the resolving power (resolution) of the two-dimensional image sensor normally depends on the dot pitch of the photoelectric transducers on the imaging face. In this specification, the resolving power determined by the dot pitch of the photoelectric transducers is designated the “native resolving power” of the image sensor. Since the dot pitch of individual photoelectric transducers has become as short as the approximate wavelength of visible light, further improving the native resolving power is difficult.
Technology that realizes a resolving power exceeding the native resolving power of the image sensor (in other words, a high resolution) has been proposed. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 62-137037 discloses technology that uses multiple images obtained by shifting the imaging position of the subject to thereby form an image of the subject (in other words, a high-resolution image).